1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sterile connectors and, more particularly, to apparatus for sterilizing the interconnecting location of empty or filled plastic containers to permit sterile fluid communication therebetween.
2. Description of Related Art
The sterile transfer of fluids between two containers or from one container to another must be accomplished for various purposes in a variety of fields of endeavor to prevent contamination of the fluid(s). Of particular import is the medical field where the fluids are to be injected into living tissue. Other fields of importance includes the handling of fluids that could cause an environmental hazard or compromise the health/safety of personnel handling the fluid or compromise the biological quality of the fluid. Under many conditions, it is of importance to prevent fluid flow between two interconnected containers except on command and that initiation of such fluid flow be without compromise or danger to the environment nor to the sterile integrity of the flowing fluids. These same considerations are applicable attendant flow from a filled container to an empty container.
Apparatus striving to accomplish a sterile interconnection for flow between two fluid filled plastic containers is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,256. To accomplish flow between two lengths of tubing extending from respective fluid containing bags, the lengths of tubing are placed adjacent one another between a pair of jaws of a clamp. Each tubing includes an internally mounted liner which has a melt temperature greater than the temperature of the material forming the tubing. One of the pair of jaws includes a ridge oriented transverse to the tubing or a plurality of ridges formed in an H-pattern. The jaw containing the straight ridge or H-pattern ridges is heated electrically by a resistance heating element to a temperature in excess of the melt temperature of the tubing with the temperature of the jaw being controlled by integrated thermistors or thermocouples and a timer. The clamp squeezes the two lengths of tubing against one another while the heating jaw supporting the ridges heats the lengths of tubing to a temperature at or above melt temperature of the tubing. The ridge present on the heated jaw compresses the immediately adjacent section of plastic of each tubing. Such compression, in combination with the heating of the compressed tubing, melts the tubing and forces the plastic of the melting tubing to flow laterally and become evacuated from the area corresponding with the respective ridge(s). The evacuated plastic forms a seal about the evacuated area between the side walls of the respective lengths of tubing and adjacent the ridge; this results in an opening interconnecting the two lengths of tubing. The liner in each length of tubing prevents melting of the material of the tubings not adjacent one another. After the seal is formed, a coolant is introduced to the clamp to cool the heated jaw and brings about setting of the melted plastic. The heating of the tubing destroys any microorganisms on the surfaces of the lengths of tubing proximate the opening formed therebetween whereby the interconnection has become sterilized. As soon as the lengths of tubing are removed from the clamp, fluid communication therebetween exists through the opening formed and fluid flow between the attached containers will occur. U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,256 also discloses apparatus for forming a similar sterile opening between two fluid containing plastic packets.